ALSOBROOK@yalemed.bitnet (05/22/91)
I would like the network participants' opinion of a recent experience we
had in requesting an aliquot of a DNA clone; the sequence was published
several years ago in Nature. We wrote the authors requesting an aliquot,
and described the experiments we intended to do. One month later we
received via US mail (50 cents postage
on the envelope) an eppendorf with 4 or 5 ul, and a letter which stated
"Incidentally, there is a charge of $50.00 to cover the cost of
handling. Please make your check payable to ...". I've only been in
molecular biology for 8 or 9 years, but I've NEVER seen ANYONE ask this
sort of fee for one (count them, 1) clone. Does this sound ridiculous
to anyone else? How could handling cost anywhere near that much? I would
really appreciate hearing from anyone with an opinion or similar
experience.
John Alsobrook
Yale University School of Medicine
Child Study Center
bitnet : alsobrook@yalemed
internet : alsobrook@biomed.med.yale.eduBROE@AARDVARK.UCS.UOKNOR.EDU (Bruce Roe) (05/23/91)
From: IN%"ALSOBROOK%yalemed.bitnet@genbank.bio.net" 22-MAY-1991 17:23:44.54 To: methods@genbank.bio.net CC: Subj: charges for clones? John Alsobrook writes: >I would like the network participants' opinion of a recent experience we >had in requesting an aliquot of a DNA clone; the sequence was published >several years ago in Nature. We wrote the authors requesting an aliquot, >and described the experiments we intended to do. One month later we >received via US mail (50 cents postage >on the envelope) an eppendorf with 4 or 5 ul, and a letter which stated >"Incidentally, there is a charge of $50.00 to cover the cost of >handling. Please make your check payable to ...". I've only been in >molecular biology for 8 or 9 years, but I've NEVER seen ANYONE ask this >sort of fee for one (count them, 1) clone. Does this sound ridiculous >to anyone else? How could handling cost anywhere near that much? I would >really appreciate hearing from anyone with an opinion or similar >experience. John, Yes this sounds rediculous and then some. I send out clones to those who request them and from time to time it can be a pain, but to charge for "handling" after the fact and without prior notification is rather unethical. If there is a large demand for a clone then maybe they should deposit the clone with the ATCC and let them distribute it. A fee is charged by ATCC but well worth the cost and assurance of viability. On the other hand, $50 is a small fee to pay for a sample if it is valuable for your work. When you think of what the prices for restriction enzymes, etc are this is peanuts. Also, of the $50, which ethically should be deposited in a University account, the University will take it's cut of indirect costs leaving the PI with maybe enough to cover the cost of postage. Oh yes, don't forget that that $50 check the University would write to cover the charge also would have indirect costs added to it and the real cost would be maybe $75. My vote is to send them cash to cover the postage and a nice cover letter thanking them for the clone but informing them that your university will not allow paying bills for which a purchase order has not been issued. /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\ \ Bruce A. Roe INTERNET: BROE@aardvark.ucs.uoknor.edu / / Dept. of Chem. and Biochem. BITNET:BROE@uokucsvx \ \ University of Oklahoma AT&TNET: 405-325-4912 or 405-325-7610 / / 620 Parrington Oval, Rm 208 FAXnet: 405-325-6111 \ \ Norman, Oklahoma 73019 ICBMnet: 35deg 14min N, 97deg 27min W \ \/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/
wrp@biochsn.acc.Virginia.EDU (William R. Pearson) (05/25/91)
There are a lot of laboratories that literally receive dozens of requests for clones, or sets of clones, every week. It seems quite reasonable that they should charge something, and $50 seems fine to me. Once you factor in the time required to go back into stocks to find the clone, make certain that it is still alive, package it up, package the package, and mail it off, there is no doubt that it costs the lab $50 - maybe more. If a lab were to request as many clones as it sends out, then it might be able to justify the technicians time; but most labs that send out clones have an enormous balance of payments problems - everybody wants what they have but very few people have what they want. A modest charge helps the balance. I recall the story that back when J. Messing was inventing M13mp7... and JM101..., he did not have a grant to cover the cost sending out the vectors and hosts, and had to revert to asking people for postage stamps (presumably due to the lack of a more straightforward mechanism for being reimbursed). Bill Pearson